Call for Events

Social Sustainability Month 2013

Decolonizing Sustainability: Unsettling the Dominant Paradigm

CALL FOR EVENT PROPOSALS

Accepting Submissions until Oct 4th

Social Sustainability Month is a forum for building a sustainability movement that includes everyone. It explores the connections between the ecological, environmental justice, economic, political, human rights, and cultural dimensions of sustainability.

This year we want to explore ways of dismantling positions of power and privilege within the sustainability movement. What are some practical ways to do this? How do we honor indigenous and traditional connections to place?

Philosophies and frameworks of sustainability have existed for millennia previous to the current movement. What are some of the alternative, lesser known, or marginalized perspectives that guide a sustainable lifestyle or culture outside of the dominant paradigm?

What role has colonization played in silencing these voices?

How has colonization impacted people’s quality of life and the land inhabited by them?

What are some of the tools that can be used to highlight these narratives so that we can build a more equitable, accessible, and diverse movement? How can the power of story telling and oral traditions unsettle the mainstream narrative of the sustainability movement?

You are invited to submit event proposals responding to these themes to be reviewed for inclusion in Social Sustainability Month 2013. The due date for submissions is 4 October 2013.

The planning committee will review each submission as it relates to the theme and questions prompted.

The committee will be considering the following themes in submissions:

clear and concise description, relation to topic, uniqueness, relevance and timeliness, diversity, accessibility, storytelling, and collaborations between faculty/staff, student, and community organizations.

Early bird submissions will be reviewed in mid September.

The Final Deadline for submission is Oct 4th, 2013.

Social Sustainability Month will be held October 24th - November 21st. There will be approximately 14 events selected. Events are typically between 2 - 3 hours, and can be lectures, workshops, film showings, or other formats.

The events will generally be offered Wednesdays and Thursdays at 11:00 a.m., 1:00 p.m., 3:00 p.m., or 5 p.m.

You will be notified regarding submissions by Oct 11th.

The SSM Planning Committee will let you know the date and time your event will be offered, based on the times selected in the submission form.